Butternut Burger

Thank you Indiana weather for keeping me indoors, giving me time to work, create, write, and work up some culinary magic. Thank you too for the Farmer’s Market taking place before the storm. Loaded up with local goodness, I’ve got my easel out, ready. Ready to create. Imagination in full flow. What to make? Hmm…. I adore butternut squash. And I’ve been on a burger kick lately. Why not combine them together? Exactly, why not, give it a shot. Well I have to say this was…….tasty. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I decided to serve the extra butternut on the side too, with some sautéed peppers, mushrooms, onions, and garlic. GOOD! On a cold-day in, this hit the spot.

Brittany’s Butternut Burger

3 oz. grass-fed hamburger

1 butternut squash, cubed and mashed

Onion rings

2 pieces of bacon

lettuce

Let’s Make it Happen:First I took my time. Removed the butternut skin. Cut it into slices. Then cut it further into beautiful little cubes. Bake in the oven at 400 with a little bacon fat and sea salt until tender. Once they are done smash them! Normally I use a food processor or a hand masher, but I am crashing at a friends, so I had to get creative. My solution? A coffee mug. It worked out perfectly. Take some of the butternut (once it has cooled a little, otherwise you’ll burn the crap out of your hands) and smooch it with the hamburger. Place in a skillet with the bacon, which should be crisping up. Season with salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook until it is no longer pink in the middle. Saute some onions, which have been cut into rings. Layer. I don’t have lettuce here because I didn’t have any in stock, but in an ideal recipe I would put lettuce, hamburger, onion and then bacon. Also I am going to work on fermenting some ketchup and mayo I believe for any future burger/fry recipes to come. Enjoy the food and the snow. Use it as an opportunity to get creative!